With Apples removal of the headphone jack wireless earbuds and headphones became ubiquitous with many players entering the market without truly understanding how to integrate into their customers lifestyles. RKS worked with two entrepreneurs to develop a company from the ground up starting with a strategy that would define the brand and product execution. The goal was to develop a new brand that would emerge as a lifestyle focused offering that didn’t compromise on sound quality to better meet the needs of the market. Music transcends across cultures and is a multi-sensory experience beyond sound which lead the team to develop CUE as the brand. The mission was simple; deliver intangible, emotional connection through the harmony of lifestyle and audio integration. This sleek design delivered high quality sound and enabled users to – CUE their beat and CUE their music.

Gamevice commissioned RKS to create a new category for the mobile gaming segment to provide gamers with controllers that integrated with their Apple devices while on the go. This new system utilized the Thunderbolt connector to ensure that users had high-speed gaming with no latency or interruption to their experience. Additionally, it provided games with tactical buttons that they were used to in the video game market. The team developed the device which launched successfully in the market and sold in Apple stores across the globe. Over the years, GameVice has continued to grow through partnerships with Samsung for their hardware devices and enabling their controller to control DJI drones for the consumer electronics market.

Hamilton Medical, a leading brand in respiratory ventilators and medical devices, collaborated with RKS to develop a new category of mobile ventilators that are optimized for first responders. The challenge was to incorporate the mission-critical features found on full-sized, static ventilators and repackage them into a portable unit that can be transported to the place of need, such as the scene of an accident or natural disaster. These highly mobile respiratory instruments had to be optimized for transport, often for harsh, rugged environments. The final physical design and user interface had to be caregiver-centric and include the vital, life-saving components to optimize the patient’s outcome. To make the biggest impact on caregivers and patients alike, the product would have to be ergonomically refined, intuitive, and affordable.

Our collaboration with Quatro on the QuatroBrush identity system began with an in-depth research phase to understand the dental care market and the unique positioning Quatro aimed to achieve. We conducted market analysis, studied consumer behaviors, and delved into dental health trends. This research guided our understanding of the brand’s mission and vision, emphasizing the importance of being informative, direct, and empowering people to take charge of their dental health. The values of efficacy, intentionality, honesty, and consciousness were identified and incorporated into the brand identity to resonate with the target audience.

Our strategic approach focused on creating a brand identity system that not only communicates QuatroBrush’s mission but also ensures consistency across all touchpoints. The strategy involved developing a comprehensive set of brand guidelines, encompassing the logo, colors, typography, and visual elements. The decision to customize the Gilroy typeface and create a monochromatic color scheme aimed to establish a modern and cohesive brand image. Our strategy also emphasized the importance of whitespace, ensuring a clean and professional presentation of brand elements. We developed multiple versions of the logo, considering different applications such as social media, product branding, and favicon, to maintain versatility while adhering to a unified brand message.

Our design team played a crucial role in shaping the visual identity of QuatroBrush. The customized QuatroBrush logo mark, a modified version of the Gilroy typeface, reflects a modern and unique aesthetic. The design of the logo lock-ups, alternate logos, and product logo followed a meticulous process to ensure versatility and legibility across various mediums. The design strategy also included creating a distinct color hierarchy and guidelines for typography, using the Rubik typeface to convey the brand voice effectively. Each design element was carefully crafted to align with the brand’s messaging and values.

The execution phase involved translating the research, strategy, and design into tangible brand assets. We ensured that every aspect of the QuatroBrush identity system adhered to the established guidelines. The execution included creating variations of the logo for different use cases, developing a coherent color scheme, and establishing rules for typography across various applications. The execution also extended to the visual representation of QuatroBrush on social media platforms, ensuring a consistent and engaging brand presence. The final result is a cohesive brand identity system that not only communicates QuatroBrush’s mission and values but also provides a versatile and visually appealing foundation for the brand’s growth and recognition.

Synaptic Medical, a pioneering medical device company, is dedicated to revolutionizing cardiac care. Focusing on addressing cardiac diseases, particularly arrhythmias, they aim to make life-saving procedures more accessible. With a deep commitment to human-centered design, communication, and empathy, Synaptic collaborates closely with RKS Design to develop a cutting-edge cryoablation system. Together, they merge insight, knowledge, and experience to bring forth Synaptic—a testament to their unwavering dedication to enhancing the quality of life for millions.

The RKS team incubated RKS Guitars in the year 2000 as an internal project, which quickly turned into a guitar company that was building and selling guitars out of the factory RKS engineered as its own production and custom guitar demands in California. The design team, all lovers of all types of music with many guitar players themselves . This love for music and a friendship with Rock-N-Roll Hall-of-Famer Dave Mason sparked the idea of reinventing the electric guitar for the first time in decades. Through this collaboration, the team benchmarked the competitive landscape of guitars utilizing our Psycho-Aesthetics methodology to identify the critical interactions and touch-points of the guitar to identify areas that can be improved and leverage Dave’s expertise to understand what had to be the same. The results created a new guitar system platform with intellectual property around a perfected “Neck Through” core , neck and headstock, that attached to a conductive Aluminum ribbing system to enable a platform to interchange the outer shells while providing the tonal quality and range they have become known for. Additionally, the new RKS guitar was the first “sustainable” and removed the need for exotic tonewoods that are responsible for much of the deforestation.By collaborating initially with Eastman Plastics and later Weyerhauser to utilize their Tenite, a material made from the wood pulp of farmed cottonwood trees and scrap wood bi-product. RKS and Mason prototyped and tested in studios and in concert for years until they created that electric guitar tones and play that musicians would fell in love with. The RKS Guitar was featured on the cover of BusinessWeek as “the Best Design of the Year”, is played by Guitar Heroes and has empowered guitar players in a new, fresh, sustainable and great sounding way, doing something that’s never been done before!